Mesothelioma Statistics - An Eye-opener

What are Mesothelioma Statistics?

Mesothelioma statistics are data about mesothelioma a dangerous cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and the abdomen. In some cases, mesothelioma can affect the heart and reproductive organs too. It is a fatal disease with patients surviving for only one-two years after the diagnosis.

What have Mesothelioma Statistics Revealed?

Mesothelioma statistics have revealed that nearly seventy to eighty per cent of all cases of mesothelioma have been directly traced to prolonged exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was a frequently used material in construction, railroad, factory, shipyard and automobile industries. Mesothelioma statistics were able to highlight the link between asbestos and cancer nearly sixty years ago. However, unscrupulous industries have chosen to continue using asbestos for profit motives.

Mesothelioma statistics also portray mesothelioma to be a silent killer. This is because the disease lies dormant in the body for periods between ten to fifty years. It is usually diagnosed in patients when they are between fifty and seventy years of age. Normally the diagnosis of mesothelioma is only after the case has reached the last stage and there is very little hope for the survival of the patient.

Mesothelioma Statistics Related to Mesothelioma Treatment:

The sad reality is that mesothelioma has no cure. According to mesothelioma statistics, after diagnosis, the average survival rate is only 12-24 months. Even with early detection and treatment, the survival rate can be stretched out to five years. Mesothelioma treatments are very expensive and usually range between four hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand dollars. This is the reason why most of the mesothelioma patients have to file lawsuits to recover medical and other costs related to this killer disease.

Is There Anything That Mesothelioma Statistics Is Not Able To Reveal?

Mesothelioma statistics reveal only the numbers of patients who have already been diagnosed with mesothelioma. This number is between two to three thousand new cases every year. However, mesothelioma statistics is not able to reveal or predict the numbers of people who continue to slowly develop the cancer inside them. There is no statistical data to provide the probable number of mesothelioma patients in the coming future.

How Can Mesothelioma Statistics Be Helpful?

Government regulations make mesothelioma patients eligible for compensation. Mesothelioma statistics can help in providing valuable information about the disease for compensation claims and lawsuits. Moreover, mesothelioma statistics can also help the mesothelioma victims and attorneys to gather valuable information for supporting their compensation claims.

Mesothelioma Staging

What is Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that affects the mesothelium (lining surrounding the lungs, abdomen, or heart).

Main Cause of Mesothelioma The main cause of mesothelioma is direct or indirect asbestos exposure. During asbestos exposure microscopic (unseen by the eye) asbestos fibers enter the body either through inhalation or ingestion, causing healthy body cells to mutate into cancer (mesothelioma) over a period of time.

Different Types of Mesothelioma Mesothelioma basically is of three types.

-- Pleural Mesothelioma -- Peritoneal Mesothelioma -- Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma affects the pleura (lining surrounding the lungs). Over 80% of diagnosed mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, making it the most common type of mesothelioma.

Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining surrounding the stomach. It is not so common with approximately 10 to 20% diagnosed mesothelioma falling into this category.

Pericardial mesothelioma affects the lining surrounding the heart. It is the rarest type of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Treatment Treatments available today for mesothelioma are surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and a combination of the three.

The most common type of mesothelioma treatment is surgery, followed by radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. If required a combination of these treatments are used.

Choosing Type of Treatment for Mesothelioma The physician / surgeon will decide on which type of mesothelioma treatment to choose from. This will depend on what type of mesothelioma it is, the patients age and health, and most importantly at what stage the cancer has been diagnosed.

The treatment for mesothelioma patients will mainly depend on the stage of the cancer.

Staging of Mesothelioma Since the most common type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, it is the most studied and is the only type of mesothelioma for which there is a staging system.

Once mesothelioma is diagnosed, further tests will be conducted to find out if the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body, and to what extent. The stage of the cancer must be known for suitable treatment to be started.

Different systems are in use for mesothelioma staging which consist of the following.

-- Butchart Staging System -- TNM Staging System -- Brigham Staging System

Butchart Staging System The Butchart system is the oldest and was the most commonly used staging system for mesothelioma. It is based on the extent of the primary tumor mass and divides the cancer into four stages; stages I through IV.

Stage I (Butchart System) In stage I, cancer (mesothelioma) cells are present in the right or left pleura and at times also in the lung, pericardium, or the muscle separating the chest from the abdomen (diaphragm), all on the same side.

Stage II (Butchart System) In stage II, cancer (mesothelioma) cells invade the chest wall involving the esophagus, heart, or pleura on both the sides. It could also involve the lymph nodes in the chest.

Stage III (Butchart System) In stage III, the cancer (mesothelioma) has spread and penetrated through the diaphragm into the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). It could also involve the lymph nodes present beyond those in the chest.

Stage IV (Butchart System) In stage IV, the cancer (mesothelioma) has spread into the bloodstream and to distant organs and tissues.

TNM Staging System The TNM (T=Tumor, N=Nodes, M=Metastasis) system is based on the Butchart system, but is more detailed and precise with a few minor differences between both the systems.

In TNM, T stands for the tumor size and how far it has spread, N stands for the spread of cancer to the lymph nodes, and M stands for the spread of the cancer to distant organs (metastasis). As in the Butchart staging system, the severity of the cancer is divided into four stages in the TNM system; I through IV.

Stage I (TNM System) In stage I, cancer (mesothelioma) cells are present in the right or left pleura and at times also in the lung, pericardium, or the muscle separating the chest from the abdomen (diaphragm), all on the same side.

Stage II (TNM System) In stage II, cancer (mesothelioma) has spread from the pleura on one side to the lymph nodes on the same side next to the lungs and also possibly into the lung, pericardium or the diaphragm on the same side.

Stage III (TNM System) In stage III, cancer (mesothelioma) has spread into the chest wall muscle, esophagus, heart, ribs, and other organs in the chest on the same side as the primary tumor.

Stage IV (TNM System) In stage IV, cancer (mesothelioma) has spread to the lymph nodes in the chest on the opposite side of the primary tumor, and could also include the pleura or lung on the opposite side, the peritoneum, organs in the abdominal cavity or neck. The cancer could have spread into the bloodstream taking the cancer to distant organs beyond the chest and abdominal cavity.

Brigham Staging System The Brigham system is the most recent staging system for mesothelioma. It takes into consideration variables such as lymph node status and tumor resectability (the ability to surgically remove a tumor).

The Brigham system too consists of four stages; I through IV.

Stage I (Brigham System) In stage I, the cancer (mesothelioma) has not yet affected the lymph nodes and the mesothelioma is still resectable.

Stage II (Brigham System) In stage II, the cancer (mesothelioma) has affected the lymph nodes, but the mesothelioma is still resectable.

Stage III (Brigham System) In stage III, the cancer (mesothelioma) has penetrated the chest wall, diaphragm, heart, and abdominal cavity, with the lymph nodes either affected or unaffected. Mesothelioma is not resectable at this stage.

Stage IV (Brigham System) In stage IV, the cancer (mesothelioma) has spread into the bloodstream and distant organs and tissues. Mesothelioma is not resectable at this stage.

Importance of Mesothelioma Staging Staging plays a very important role in mesothelioma treatment because the physician / surgeon will base all further medications / treatment on the mesothelioma staging reports.

To stage the extent of the cancer, the surgeon will require to get several x-rays / CT scan / MRI scan / PET scan / combination of these scans.

It takes approximately 30 to 40 years for the symptoms of mesothelioma to surface. By this time the cancer is almost always in an advanced stage with no positive treatment possible and a survival rate of just 12 to 18 months after diagnosis. Surgeons today are testing new methods / medications to treat mesothelioma with promising results. It is expected that the survival rate after diagnosis will be up 5 to 10 years from the current 12 to 18 months. The survival time after diagnosis will just keep getting better and better.

If you know that you have been exposed to asbestos in the past 40 years, but still feel fit and fine, what you can do today is to get a thorough checkup done from a physician / surgeon reputed in handling mesothelioma cases. As described in the article, you could be diagnosed with stage I mesothelioma, making cure and long life a possibility.

Mesothelioma Research Search For Hope

Mesothelioma research refers to the studies for discovering new facts or information about mesothelioma cancers. Mesothelioma is a life threatening cancerous disease. It affects the lining of abdominal organs and lungs. Only known reason of this disease is exposure to asbestos particles. Diagnosis of mesothelioma is a difficult process. This is mainly because asbestos particles may lie dormant in the body for up to 50 years before appearance of symptoms. Average survival time of mesothelioma patients is 1-2 years. Mesothelioma research is important considering the increasing number of mesothelioma patients every year.

Key Points of Mesothelioma Research

Most of the mesothelioma research going on today is focused towards the effects of asbestos particles on human cells. Scientists undertaking mesothelioma research are studying the process through which asbestos corrupts the healthy cells of the body. Ongoing research about mesothelioma provides a ray of hope that sometime in the future it may become possible to prevent the damaging effects of asbestos particles on human cells.

During the course of mesothelioma research, experts are also performing clinical trials on the mesothelioma patients. They are conducting clinical trials on the patients who are diagnosed for mesothelioma cancers on early stages as well as later stages. Doctors emphasize on trials on both types of patients because both of them equally require relief from mesothelioma cancers. Ongoing mesothelioma research and newer information every day provides hope to mesothelioma victims that any trial can result into the discovery of an effective treatment for mesothelioma cancers.

Sponsors of Mesothelioma Research

Many organizations including the companies responsible for the exposure to asbestos particles are sponsoring mesothelioma research. It is the moral duty of those companies because many people are on brink of death because of their negligence. Law firms are also keeping a close watch on mesothelioma research because many patients are adopting legal course for seeking mesothelioma compensation. A mesothelioma law firm has better chances for getting compensation for its client if they better information about this dangerous disease.

Mesothelioma Reading Relevant Books Help Reduce The Pain

Books contain invaluable information about mesothelioma. There is a good collection of books written by many advanced researchers as well as reputable medical practitioners on the subject matter and they enlighten us with various complicated facets of the ailment. Some spell out the treatments, symptoms as well as support sources while others provide leads on how to locate good doctors while some others offer pieces of advice on how to keep patients? hope alive. The books written on the legal side of the mesothelioma cases carry another good resource and assists mesothelioma patients to file cases against the relevant parties in so far as demanding compensation as a result of affliction with mesothelioma.

Relevant publication which offer info about asbestos related mesothelioma cancer can provide patients great relief as understanding the causes of the disease and the symptoms of the current situation they are in, is a great help to weather the pain.

If a mesothelioma patient would like to pursue a lawsuit against relevant parties, books written on the legal aspects of mesothelioma cases are a great help. When a patient is on the threshold of filing a case, a capable legal counsel can pass relevant books or direct the patient to reliable sources to acquire books for enlightenment and actual facts.

The publication ?Help me Live: 20 things people with cancer want to know? penned by Lori Hope is one such book that offers a good source of information. The author is a cancer survivor and provides individuals with rare info about this fatal cancer and the particulars about inadequate researches to find an effective treatment for the disease.

Another book named ?Mesothelioma? has been edited by Bruce W. S. Robison and A Philippe Chahinian. It has been written based on the advices of renowned mesothelioma doctors who have great exposure in dealing with mesothelioma patients. The books also offer patients with info about conventional proedures as well.

Mesothelioma Prognosis

The inhalation or ingestion of unseen microscopic asbestos fibers, over a period of time can lead to mesothelioma cancer, a deadliest type of cancer or asbestosis, a non-cancerous, chronic lung ailment. Excessive asbestos exposure, though rare, can result in such deadly conditions. Mesothelioma prognosis informs you about the likely course and outcome of the disease mesothelioma. Remember, it is just a prediction and no one can tell exactly about the advance of the cancer or effect of the treatment, for a particular patient. Prognosis for mesothelioma will depend upon various factors such as for how long has been the person exposed to asbestos, for how long had he the symptoms of mesothelioma, how he responds to the treatment, his overall health, stability of his mind, etc. Let us first see what is exactly meant by mesothelioma cancer.

Mesothelioma Cancer

The inhaled or ingested microscopic asbestos fibers settle down and stick firmly to the lungs, affecting the lungs or heart or the abdominal cavity. When the lining surrounding the lungs is affected by this cancer, it is called pleural mesothelioma cancer. When the cancer affects the lining surrounding the stomach, it is called peritoneal mesothelioma cancer. When the lining surrounding the heart is affected, it is known as pericardial mesothelioma cancer. Direct or indirect exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma. Asbestos mine workers, ship builders, construction workers, ship breakers, clutch or brake liner workers, building renovators, mechanics can come into contact with asbestos fibers directly. Their hair or clothing can carry the asbestos fibers and they can be passed to all those who come into contact with them. Mesothelioma cancer and asbestosis are totally different conditions. Fever, weight loss, fatigue, anemia and digestive and respiratory disturbances are some of the main mesothelioma symp toms. Other symptoms will vary according to the type of mesothelioma. For instance, abdominal pain, abdominal mass, increased abdominal girth, distention of the abdomen, ascites (fluid in the abdomen) will be noticed in case of peritoneal mesothelioma.

Asbestosis

Over exposure to asbestos can make you breathe microscopic asbestos fibers. These fibers as are lodged firmly into the lungs, lead to lung scarring resulting in a drastic reduction in breathing capacity. It is not a cancer, but as with mesothelioma, the signs and symptoms of asbestosis appear years after asbestos exposure. So it is diagnosed, usually when the condition of the patient gets worsened drastically, leading to permanent disability and even death. Severe asbestosis can result in lung cancer, heart complications, increased blood pressure within the lungs and mesothelioma. include constant cough, constant chest pain, constant dry crackling sound while breathing, constant fatigue, etc. Medications and vaccination are the available treatments for asbestosis. Patients should avoid smoking. Pulmonary hypertension is noticed in cases of asbestosis. As the lungs are deteriorated to a great extent, even a minor cold can create a severe complication. Asbestosis prognosis will depend upon how much the scarrin g of the parenchymal tissue of the lungs has damaged the lungs. It is detected with the help of X-ray, CT scan or MRI. The damage done by asbestosis cannot be reversed. Excessive lung fluid can be drained and inhalers can be used to improve breathing. The asbestos prognosis is usually negative as the disease is diagnosed when the condition of the patient is worsened. A few years before, about 550 cases of death per year (or 45 per month, 10 per week, 1 per day) due to asbestosis were noticed in the U.S.

Malignant Mesothelioma Prognosis

In the United states, about 2000 to 3000 new cases of mesothelioma cancer are diagnosed each year. The factors influencing the mesothelioma prognosis are Stage at which the cancer is diagnosed Type of mesothelioma Size of the tumor Location of the tumor Whether the tumor can be surgically removed Extent of other symptoms like fluid in lungs or abdomen Whether the patient quits smoking or not Malignant mesothelioma prognosis will mainly depend upon the stage at which it is diagnosed. Generally, mesothelioma is not diagnosed until the advanced stages (stage 3 or 4) of the development of cancer. It may take 30 to 40 years after the initial exposure to asbestos, for the cancer to display its symptoms. Even when the symptoms are noticed, they can be misguiding as they often resemble less serious conditions. As a result the mesothelioma prognosis is usually poor and the mesothelioma cancer life expectancy is also very poor. Mesothelioma is generally diagnosed in persons over 55 years old.

American Cancer Society's statistics about mesothelioma prognosis, inform us that the five-year relative survival rate for mesothelioma patients is around 10 percent. It was 9 percent at the end of 2002. It seems that the rate has improved. The one-year survival rate is now about 40 percent and this rate has also increased in the past five years. Throughout the 1990s, it was considered as an exceptional case if the patient could survive for more than a year after diagnosis. The average length of survival reported throughout the last five years has been 10 to 11 months after diagnosis. New ways and techniques to cure mesothelioma are being researched. Some of the results from the numerous clinical trials conducted, are very promising. Individuals suspecting any kind of asbestos exposure in the past, should also consult the doctors immediately; as the latest ' can help prevent serious health problems. The mesothelioma life expectancy can be improved to a remarkable extent when detected earlier, perhaps mesoth elioma can be totally cured, in future. People will not then succumb to this deadly disease within one year of diagnosis.

Mesothelioma Patients Need Fast Help Resources

Growing number of mesothelioma help groups suggest the gravity of the cancer. No doubt it is a good move to create awareness among masses about growing incidence of mesothelioma and its terrible consequences. One must comprehend the facts that mesothelioma is the cancer that requires urgent attention by hundreds of employers those do not care about the safety of their employees while they work in asbestos related industries.

Asbestos exposure makes the people vulnerable to mesothelioma. Foremost thing that can be said about these patients is their urgency of help. There is no time to waste. Faster the help is given, better is the prognosis of cancer.

The help resources for mesothelioma can be divided into three groups-

o Physical Help: This includes apt investigations and treatment regimens. The expert doctors should be consulted those can diagnose the problem without wasting time. Quicker the diagnosis, better are the prospects of treatment. Multiple treatment options today are available. With consent from patient and his relatives, these treatments can be instituted in any of the good treatment centers for mesothelioma. Nutritional help in the form of good diet and well-planned meals also comes under physical help and is of tremendous help to the patient.

o Mental Help: This can be said equally important as physical help. When the patient hears the diagnosis of mesothelioma, his world shatters. Poor prognosis of the disease makes him worry constantly and this negative mind set up may come in way of good treatment compliance. That's why psychotherapy or psychological counseling is of great help to these impressionable patients. Family support also comes under this category and it has been observed that those patients do better who get firm family support.

o Financial Help: One cannot ignore this aspect of help. Rather, with so many treatment options being available, finances are constantly at stake for mesothelioma patient. This is why it is stressed by experts that seeking compensation from the employers that are responsible indirectly for this agony is must. Yes, because of careless attitude of employers, these patients suffered asbestos exposure and due to this, they suffered from mesothelioma cancer today. Punishing guilty and seeking hefty compensation is easy through expert mesothelioma lawyers. One must strive to do these things if the patient needs to be given ample treatment and newer clinical trials those are quite costly.

Thus the mesothelioma support groups online do a great work by making people understand the various modes of treatments and also by instilling hopes in millions of cancer patients. Many donors also give donations to these groups and on the basis of no profit and no loss, these groups help needy people those are really in trouble. The mesothelioma remains a scare among public.

The cancer with its tentacles spread across the globe must be treated with stringent measures and also governments should provide enough attention to the occupational hazard laws. With all-in-one efforts, such menace can be conquered.

Mesothelioma Patients Can Visit Chiropractors for Pain Management

Most people wouldnt think of chiropractic care as a useful tool in treatment of a cancer like mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is caused primarily by asbestos exposure and develops in the mesothelial cells that make up the lining of the lungs, heart and abdomen. Typically, the symptoms of mesothelioma can take anywhere from 20 to 50 years to begin showing. Because of this, by the time the cancer is diagnosed treatment options are usually limited.

Many cancer patients have chosen to visit a chiropractor as part of their treatment routine. According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractic doctors have a deep respect for the human body's ability to heal itself without the use of surgery or medication. These doctors devote careful attention to the biomechanics, structure and function of the spine, its effects on the musculoskeletal and neurological systems, and the role played by the proper function of these systems in the preservation and restoration of health. A doctor of chiropractic is one who is involved in the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as the promotion of public health, and a wellness approach to patient healthcare.

Cancer patients that have included chiropractic care in their course of treatment have found that it can help control pain and alleviate headaches, tension and stress. Relieving severe headaches and movement pains during cancer treatment may make the treatment process more comfortable for cancer patients, including those battling mesothelioma.

A study was published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics that examined a 54-year-old man diagnosed with lung cancer (a cancer often related to asbestos exposure). The man began seeing a chiropractor after experiencing very little pain relief one year after he underwent surgery to combat his cancer. The man experienced pain relief immediately after beginning chiropractic care and stopped using all of his pain medications after two visits to his chiropractor. The Journal noted, These clinical examples offer two specific instances of how chiropractic may improve the quality of a cancer patients life.

specializes in natural pain relief and he helps Gwinnett County citizens with back pain, neck pain, sciatica, headache, fibromyalgia, carpel tunnel, nutrition,weight loss, and more here in Lawrenceville, GA.